Eastern surplus

[ChrisW72971]

So I clicked the link at the top of the forum to go to Eastern Surplus thinking they may have a good deal on a deuce but woah the prices are through the roof.
$9k to $14k for a Deuce that look like it just came from GL.
No new paint and actually rust in the pics.
Whats up?? These things have brand new engines installed or what???

Maybe they would take my Hummer H3 as a trade in for $200,000

 

[gunboy1656]

Well thats because he is a business. Once you figure out all that goes into running a business, the costs add up quickly.

You have the purchase of the truck, the time for the mechanic to go over the truck and fix any issues, price of parts, power to the plant and so on and so on.....

Yeah, it sucks but I would assume he does ok at it.

 

[aboonski]

Deuces are plentiful at GL now - that's where Eastern Surplus gets theirs. You would also have to add the cost of driving the truck from there to your location - I live in Florida so for me the cost of diesel would kill my budget! They do go through their vehicles to make sure all the fluids are topped off.....

 

[73m819]

i got my 819 from E S, i liked the price, knew what i was getting, nothing hidden, if he had what i was looking for at the price i am willing to pay, id buy from dave again

also the dealers are geared more to the commercial buyer, wather then the MVers like us, a commerical buyer is more into a turn key truck then we are, hense the time it takes to go thought it to make it turn key.

the 819 was not commercial ready, started, everything worked but needed work ,yes, but the price dave gave me reflected that

 

[hndrsonj]

Look at the prices of other MV sellers that are in business (Memphis, CSI ect), and you will see that most are similar. I know CSI specifically sells 40-50 a year.

 

[AceHigh]

There is the chance you end up buying scrap instead of a run-able truck at auction. That has to be figured in. Plus, our tiny little store here runs utilities of $1,000 a month- business overhead is high.

 

[ChrisW72971]

I suppose if they were tight running and solid and ready to work hard they are worth it.

 

[bulldog_mack13]

Or you can put in a little work on a GL truck for 1,000 and a couple hundred in stuff to make it yours. Just like Eastern and White Owl and John Winslows , etc etc. all of them have a large mark up to the non hobby guys as stated earlier they are geared torward commerical sales.
Put in some elbow greese and get yourself a good Duece and check all the fluids and fix something if its broke like they do and save you thousands and have more pride that you did it.

 

[WPNS421]

I have bought a M35 and an M109A3 from Eastern paying $11,000, I cannot buy from GL so I go to a commercial dealer. Dave at Eastern is great, on ! july the fuel pump went in the M35, I called him on Wednesday afternoon and told him to send me a pump Saturday AM I had the pump in my hand. I have visited his site it is hugh and he employes 5 -10 people dealing with MVs.. He gave me trucks that had complete PM and he will paint etc. How many of you have bought from GL and have recieved surprises because of the condition and how much have you spent putting your truck into a reasonable shape. Spend $1000 t0 $1500 for the truck, recouvering it home, your PM getting titles etc. Remember he is a businessman. If you think he is expensive come to Canada and deal with the people I have to deal with to acquire trucks. I am very satisfied with Eastern and just bought an MKT from him.

 

[swbradley1]

Never met Dave but he is in business to make money. That's what a business does.

Now, at my age (uh 53) I weighed buying one from the local (within 75 miles) dealer or Eastern Surplus or anyone else in business OR go the GL route and take my life into my own hands so to speak. I got one from GL and one from kipman.

I have to do everything myself. It would have been better if I had had the new barn ready ahead of time but that''s how it goes sometimes.

If I had it to do over I might consider buying a nicely painted truck from one of the dealers all prepped and ready to go. Yes it is more expensive but the choice is always yours.

I could do the electric in my barn but decided to have an electrician do it to save what little sanity I have left.

Get what you want and what you can afford.

sw

 

[BKubu]

Dave's prices are reasonable for what you get. People take for granted that the trucks coming out of GL are perfect. They are not. They almost always need something, although usually it is something small. However, in other cases, it is something big. I've gotten trucks that needed transmissions, transfer cases, master cylinders, air packs...nothing too serious...but costly all the same. There are guys out there who have purchased lemons, but we don't hear from them readily. We hear most about the success stories. Dave takes his lumps, trust me. Ever wonder why he parts trucks out that look decent? It is because he gets some junk every now and again. Guys just assume deuces go for $1000-1500. Well, some do go that cheaply, but not where I live. Others bring $2000-3000 or more (I got out bid on a shop van that went for $5K!!!). However, you most often will have more in your truck when you are done with it. The guys telling you they paid a grand don't mention the tax, the 10% bidder's fee, the shipping (unless they drive it home, which almost seems like a SteelSoldiers tradition). Dave offers guys trucks with no hassles and few risks. Ever wonder why there are so many GL-related questions on here? Guys have many questions and/or problems that Dave would deal with before you get to the truck.

 

[Capt.Marion]

From my understanding, his trucks get a good enough go-over to warrant such pricing.

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

Ive seen some of the trucks from dave, and they are pretty nice, I also know guys who bought from GL and then had dave repaint the trucks for them and they are nice also. Kinda kickin the idea around of having him paint one of mine.

 

[gusto1]

I have bought a used part from Dave and have been very satisfied.
I know a MV dealer here in NC that speaks very well of Dave.

 

[m109guy]

If your not happy with the price from Eastern Surplus then don't buy from there. Why are you complaining? There is nothing forcing you to buy from a business like Eastern.

Go buy directly from GL if you are not happy with their prices. They are in business for a reason, to make money. If he and other companies are not making money doing it, then they wouldn't be in business.

I can go to the store and buy a loaf of break for like $2. Though if I were to make the bread myself it would cost like $0.25. Those bastards at the store must be smoking dope wanting me to pay $2. They must be ripping me off!!!!!

Give me a break.

I am in business myself and find those type of comments very annoying. If you are not happy, go somewhere else.

Dave is a really nice guy, upfront with everything and great to deal with. He goes through the process of buying the trucks from GL. Doing all the paperwork and submitting it. Then getting the trucks transported to his place. Then going through more paperwork to register the trucks at the DMV. Afterward his employees go through each truck and look it over to see the condition and list it on their website. It costs money to pay for all of that, then he also wants to make some profit.

Capitalism like that is what the US is built on. So I say all the power to him.

 

[deuceman51]

I have a couple of nice trucks that I have rebuilt and am looking to sell if you are interested. I am a full time NG Mechanic and this is what I do for a living. My trucks are reworked and I have the pics to prove it also. I have several options and I know I could sell you a truck and get it shipped to NY for cheaper than you will pay on the east coast, email me if you are intersted.

Dave is a great guy and yes he is in the buisness to make money, so am I, but my prices are much lower for the same kind of quality you want from a truck redone by an actual military mechanic.

 

[Srjeeper]

Dave Newman and his team of mechanics are worth every penny. He backs up everything they touch and you could not ask for a more honest, up front guy. When you deal with Dave and the Eastern Surplus guys, there are no unpleasant surprises.

That certainly isn't always the case with a GL truck.

Give them a call or stop down, you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[jcappeljr]

Dave is a good guy, I have bought and sold things from him.He doesnt give things away,but we all try to get as much as possible for things we sell.Nobody forces people to buy from them.He is always helpful on the phone to answer questions also.

 

[UZISHOOTER]

Dave currently is going thru my truck. I have found him to be nothing less than forthright, honest and a true professional. He knows these trucks inside and out, I have been to his shop to discuss my truck and have observed his mechanics work, also professionals. That all costs big money but I am willing to pay for work done right that I don't have time, space or tools to do myself. Eastern Surplus are mechanics, not parts replacers. I'm pretty sure he is in business to make a profit, and deservedly so.

 

[bassetdeuce]

If your not happy with the price from Eastern Surplus then don't buy from there. Why are you complaining? There is nothing forcing you to buy from a business like Eastern.

Go buy directly from GL if you are not happy with their prices. They are in business for a reason, to make money. If he and other companies are not making money doing it, then they wouldn't be in business.

I can go to the store and buy a loaf of break for like $2. Though if I were to make the bread myself it would cost like $0.25. Those bastards at the store must be smoking dope wanting me to pay $2. They must be ripping me off!!!!!

Give me a break.

I am in business myself and find those type of comments very annoying. If you are not happy, go somewhere else.

Dave is a really nice guy, upfront with everything and great to deal with. He goes through the process of buying the trucks from GL. Doing all the paperwork and submitting it. Then getting the trucks transported to his place. Then going through more paperwork to register the trucks at the DMV. Afterward his employees go through each truck and look it over to see the condition and list it on their website. It costs money to pay for all of that, then he also wants to make some profit.

Capitalism like that is what the US is built on. So I say all the power to him.

Oh gawd, here we go . I think that the OP is just wondering why some rusted out NJ national guard trucks (if Im thinking about the correct dealer) are being priced so high. Now don't give me that _____ is a nice guy, and they go over the trucks thoroughly, blah, blah.... Do you want to buy from a used car dealer because the owner has a great personality and he has a few mechanics? Some spray paint and someones word that something is good to go is of small comfort when paying top dollar. True, there is no warrantee or guarantee with GL, but is there one with Eastern? Me? If I couldn't take GL no more and If I were closer to him I'd buy from deuceman51, simply because he has some proof of his work besides word of mouth, and is less expensive.

Now, the simple answer to the original question is if eastern is charging what they do, its because they can. They are obviously getting what they are asking for their trucks ($9000-$14000), so more power to them. If they could charge double that and sell them at the same rate, they would. Now as to why people are willing to pay this, there are a bunch of reasons, from the "nice guy" thing, to the convenience, or ignorance, or maybe they went there and found something that appealed to them and they were able to make a deal on it.

I think most of us go GL for the minimal cost and the thrill of it (certainly not for the wonderful GL customer service experience or DMV frustration ). The gambling, or roll of the dice aspect of GL is exciting cause you often don't know what you are going to get! The risk isn't really bad because you can often do ok parting stuff out if you end up with a wreck.